John George Alexander Baird (1854–1917) was Unionist MP for Glasgow Central. He was a younger son of the industrialist and landowner William Baird of

Elie House Elie House is a country house in Elie, Fife, Scotland. It is a Category A listed building. The house, built in 1697 and incorporating an earlier structure, is south facing, constructed in stone in 3 storeys, 2 bays deep with a 5-bay frontage. ...

and Janet Johnstone. Baird was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

. He first stood for the seat in 1885, won it in 1886, but lost it narrowly in 1906. Baird served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

of the

16th Lancers The 16th The Queen's Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated with the 5th Royal Irish Lancers to form the 16th/5th Lancers in 1922. History Early war ...

. He was later

Lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

of the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Imperial Yeomanry. He inherited the Muirkirk estate in Ayrshire from his uncle James Baird, upon which he built a mansion called Wellwood House, and later acquired Colstoun House in East Lothian through his wife Susan Georgina Fergusson. The daughter of

Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet (14 March 1832 – 14 January 1907) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and colonial administrator. Background and education Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fergusson was the eldest son of Sir Charles ...

and Lady Edith Christian Ramsay, she had inherited the property through her paternal great-grandmother

Christian Ramsay Christian Ramsay, Countess of Dalhousie informally Lady Dalhousie, ''née'' Broun; (28 February 1786 – 22 January 1839) was a Scottish botanist and natural historian. She married George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie and travelled with him whe ...

, Countess of Dalhousie (née Broun of Colstoun).

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* 1854 births 1917 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Glasgow constituencies UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 Scottish Tory MPs (pre-1912) Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry officers People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford {{Conservative-UK-MP-1850s-stub